Starvation at home...

[SarasotaRepub]

Dem Bouncy's...they keep on coming!!! (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9236357)




FirstLight (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-01-10 01:30 PM
Original message Starvation at home...


Yesterday we stopped by the store on our way home to get a couple items. I still had about $75 in foodstamps, so I knew we would make it till next week...

There on a bench in front of the store was a young woman, maybe 25-30, with a sign that read "homeless, please help!" (What??? In ObamaLand????)
she looked away from me and the kids as we walked past, chatting about the day. the kids noticed her sign and paused in the doorway to ask if we could do something, i turned around the same instant and was already leaning back out the front door of the store to speak to her. I asked if she'd go for one of those 'salad meals' and her eyes met mine, guarded but longing...and all she could say was "yes, please"

I gathered more than that, i got a little microwave veggie soup, a chef's salad, a pack of 6 kaiser rolls (thinking at least she could have some bread for a couple days, and some oj ...all i could think of was that she needed stuff to nourish her, and hope that i was giving her stuff she could extend for a while. (stuff she wouldn't need to refrigerate either)
the kids argued over who got to give her what, they were so glad to help her and my youngest couldn't stop saying, did you see how sad she was?
I told them both, yes. and aren't we so lucky to have a bed to sleep in and a house to make us feel safe? we may be poor and struggling, but we are infinitely lucky...and they got it.

when we walked out she was eating an apple someone had given her, looked like she was trying to be calm, but you could tell she was ravenous. (She couldn't eat her Obama Pony???)
we gave her the stuff and my kids wished her well and said "we hope you feel better soon"
I put my hand on her back and told her I have been unemployed for more than 2 years, but at least we had foodstamps and could help a little.
She was so thin that through several layers of clothing i could feel the sharpness of her shoulderblade...
(we chatted for a minute about the job situation sucking...she was hoping that the upcoming ski season would be a relief. ) (Ha! Not with Global Warming baby!!!!)

As we said our goodbyes i realized that not only was she homeless, she was most likely starving

we have one bread & broth here and they only serve on mondays, if you don't have the proper paperwork you cannot get food from the one foodbank in town, and there are no shelters here...people live in the forest in the summer, and probably risk freezing to death in the winter.
If you open your eyes, the poverty is rampant, everywhere...i see cars full of belongings that are obviously lived in, people pushing grocery carts, young and old and scary and clean...all kinds of folks, families even.

what would it be like if all you owned in the world was what you could carry?
what would it be like if you really didn't know where your next meal was coming from or where you would lay your head that night?
it's scary that we have come to this, and so many refuse to even see it.



Now of course, you know who's gonna show in this thread!!!!




bobbolink (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-01-10 06:26 PM
Response to Reply #14 (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9236357#9238143)

15. No, of courrse not... there is NOBODY... and that includes Keith, Rachel, Hartmann, et al. Edited on Fri Oct-01-10 06:28 PM by bobbolink
Would you like to help put some effort into that?

I'm going to edit to add.... NONE of the big names.... Grayson, Sanders, Boxer, Feingold...NONE of them speak about poverty, let alone homelessness. :eek:

NONE.

That is why I have no interest in any of them anymore.

I Will vote my own interests... and that means only for those who can say the word HOMELESSNESS like they mean it.



And, not to be out done, another DUmmie comes up witha tale of woe!




PJPhreak (1000+ posts) Fri Oct-01-10 03:30 PM
Response to Original message (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9236357#9236357)

9. I went to the store to grab a couple of things the other day,http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/images/transparent.gifEdited on Fri Oct-01-10 03:33 PM by PJPhreak
and sitting out side the shopping plaza was a gent who was "Flyin the Cardboard". I turned the car around and gave him my last dollar,(I have been unemployed for over a year) (Well of course!!!) and then went into the store,got the things that I needed and grabbed him a huge Roast Beef and Cheddar sub sandwich,a tube of Pringles and a cold Gatorade. (Wait...I thought you gave the guy your last dollar??)

I practally ran thru the store to get to the checkout lane fearing that the local PD would chase him away,(Emporia Ks. PD is not known for its Kindness) drove back to where he was sitting and gave him the sack with the meal in it...his eyes bugged. He thanked me profusely and tore into the bag. (Excellent Bouncy point!!!!)

I know Exactly where this gent was at...I have stood in the same spot with Exactly the same sign (Need Work,Please!) just recently.

Hunger will make one stuff their pride in a hole really fast.

If it were not for Foodstamps (Ahhhh...Foodstamps! Good save!) BOTH of us would have spent a very hungry evening.

Edit to Add: THANK YOU! For your kindness and for teaching your children Well...May you and yours be blessed!


Bounce,bounce,bounce!!!! :D

[obx]

Reminds me of something that happened to me a few years ago. I was driving down the street when this smelly, drunken bum came up to me at a stoplight. He said he would rather die than spend another night hungry and exposed to the cold. So I ran over him in my SUV.
________
Tiger Blood (http://winningentrepreneur.com/)

[SarasotaRepub]

Reminds me of something that happened to me a few years ago. I was driving down the street when this smelly, drunken bum came up to me at a stoplight. He said he would rather die than spend another night hungry and exposed to the cold. So I ran over him in my SUV.


Hey!!!! :mad: Only I get to be that eeeeeeeeeeeeevil. :mad::D

[NJCardFan]

This is no lie. I heard on the radio one day that this guy went to Arby's and bought a sack of their roast beef sandwiches. He was driving along when he saw a guy on the median at an intersection with a "Will work for food" sign. He handed the guy one of the sandwiches and the bum declined saying he didn't like Arby's. When I was living in Arizona, panhandlers were everywhere with their signs. My 2 favorites were one guy who had a sign that said, "Why Lie, I Need A Beer". I gave him a buck. The other was a sign that said, "Need Money For Vacation". That guy I flipped off.

With these 2, I'm surprised none of you mentioned the irony. These so called people being generous are like every other libtard. Generous with other people's money.

[Apache]

This is no lie. I heard on the radio one day that this guy went to Arby's and bought a sack of their roast beef sandwiches. He was driving along when he saw a guy on the median at an intersection with a "Will work for food" sign. He handed the guy one of the sandwiches and the bum declined saying he didn't like Arby's. When I was living in Arizona, panhandlers were everywhere with their signs. My 2 favorites were one guy who had a sign that said, "Why Lie, I Need A Beer". I gave him a buck. The other was a sign that said, "Need Money For Vacation". That guy I flipped off.

With these 2, I'm surprised none of you mentioned the irony. These so called people being generous are like every other libtard. Generous with other people's money.

I know eactly what, who and where you're talking about. Mister Why lie was a pro who parked his newer Jeep in a nearby parking lot would panhandle all day long then go home, until he got busted. The ones that got me were those that used their kids as props. Az finally passed a law against having your kids with you if you were panhandling....:rolleyes:

[Wei Wu Wei]

This is no lie. I heard on the radio one day that this guy went to Arby's and bought a sack of their roast beef sandwiches. He was driving along when he saw a guy on the median at an intersection with a "Will work for food" sign. He handed the guy one of the sandwiches and the bum declined saying he didn't like Arby's. When I was living in Arizona, panhandlers were everywhere with their signs. My 2 favorites were one guy who had a sign that said, "Why Lie, I Need A Beer". I gave him a buck. The other was a sign that said, "Need Money For Vacation". That guy I flipped off.

With these 2, I'm surprised none of you mentioned the irony. These so called people being generous are like every other libtard. Generous with other people's money.

I tell myself one of these stories every day so I don't feel guilty when I drive away from them laughing.

[Bailey]

I tell myself one of these stories every day so I don't feel guilty when I drive away from them laughing.

So its ok to take others money but you yourself wont give out of your own pocket? I love progressives like yourself so compassionate with other peoples money.

[NJCardFan]

So its ok to take others money but you yourself wont give out of your own pocket? I love progressives like yourself so compassionate with other peoples money.

I was talking about this with my wife yesterday. Watching Leno, he had Seth McFarland(Family Guy) on and they were talking about Rush being on Family Guy this weekend. McFarland made a comment on how he disagrees with everything a conservative commentator says and whatnot. And it got me thinking. These Hollywood liberals are such phonies(not an epiphany I assure you). I've always wanted to strike up a conversation with one and get it toward politics and talk about how people should help the poor blaseblah. Then I would ask them how much money they had in their pocket. If they told me, I'd tell them to give it to me because it wasn't fair that they had more than I did. If they refused, I'd call them hypocrites right to their face and even do the point and laugh at them.

[Bailey]

I was talking about this with my wife yesterday. Watching Leno, he had Seth McFarland(Family Guy) on and they were talking about Rush being on Family Guy this weekend. McFarland made a comment on how he disagrees with everything a conservative commentator says and whatnot. And it got me thinking. These Hollywood liberals are such phonies(not an epiphany I assure you). I've always wanted to strike up a conversation with one and get it toward politics and talk about how people should help the poor blaseblah. Then I would ask them how much money they had in their pocket. If they told me, I'd tell them to give it to me because it wasn't fair that they had more than I did. If they refused, I'd call them hypocrites right to their face and even do the point and laugh at them.

Its a proving fact that Conservatives give more of themselves the Lib/progressives. I know many that tithe at least 10% of their income to charity, I myself want to tithe too but I need some good Christian charities ideas

[MountainMan]

Dem Bouncy's...they keep on coming!!! (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9236357)


Now of course, you know who's gonna show in this thread!!!!

And, not to be out done, another DUmmie comes up witha tale of woe!


Bounce,bounce,bounce!!!! :D

So let me get this straight FirstLight. You are on foodstamps you fucking idiot? So, while you pay out of pocket for internet service so you can post about your pathetic life on the internet, the hardworking, taxpaying citizen is funding your food habit? How about this for starters, you turn off the internet service and save that extra 55$ a month and use it to buy some soap and shampoo, get yourself cleaned up and find a fucking job.

[lacarnut]

Its a proving fact that Conservatives give more of themselves the Lib/progressives. I know many that tithe at least 10% of their income to charity, I myself want to tithe too but I need some good Christian charities ideas

I give to the Food Bank that distributes food and meals. My mom and dad received meals on wheels from the council on aging for many years. The Salvation Army is another one I support. I give to others but it bugs me that they give/sell my name to other charities which I have no interest in.

[MrsSmith]

While living in Nebraska, I ended up with a couple contacts into the homeless society. One was a 'Nam vet that was going to college to support his then-3-year-old son. The government provided food, shelter, cash, etc., and he got his education and started his own business. He always spoke with great longing for the time when he was homeless, could work only when he chose, could Dumpster dive for food and how great it was to live on the beach in Florida. I guess it all became too much for him, because despite having a nice business, a $50,000 house, a couple vehicles, and no major debts, when the kid was 14, this guy signed him over to the state, dumped everything, and moved back to Florida to have some fun for the rest of his life.

Another was a friend of my youngest child's father. I offered his guy a place to stay for 3 or 4 weeks, until he found a job. After about 3 weeks, I started hassling him about actually looking for work, and then he started bringing home $20 a day to "pay his way." I thought he must have gotten part-time work somewhere, but it turned out he was standing on a street corner with a "will work for food" sign. He averaged $35 - 40 a day, more if he borrowed a dog from somebody. When I got on to him about getting real work, he became very angry and informed me that only idiots work when it's so easy to make money. He also told me that he didn't need to stay with a lousy family like mine, so I "graciously" offered to let him leave...with my boot.

After an introduction like that, I'm afraid that I'll never hand money to anyone that appears homeless. I'll donate happily to shelters, food banks, the Salvation Army, and our church assistance fund, but I'll never just hand someone cash.